Incubator.



(No Model.)

n.1. woons.-

INGUBATUR.

(Application led May 25, 1900.)

Pat'ented- Aug. 28, |900.

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NiTED STATES4 ,PATENT OFFICE- GRANV ILLE T. WOODS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

INCUBATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming 4part of Letters Patent No. 656,760, dated August 28, 1900. Appucanmrlednayz,1900. serial No. 18,013. (No man.:

y To all whom it may concern.:

of the outer free atmosphere. Meanwhile the i Be it known that I, GRANVILLE T. iWooDs, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of New York, N. Y., have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Incubatore, of which the following is a speciiication.

My invention relates to improvements in incubators or egg-hatching machines, and has for one of its objects to ventilato the hatching-chamber in such a manner that the huimidity of the air within the hatching-chamber will at all times be about thesame as that said air will be moving slowl y, positively, and bodily through the said hatching-chamber from the point of entrance into said chamber to the place of exit therefrom.v l

Another object of my present invention is to maintain a practicallyeven temperature throughout. the Vent-ire interior of the hatching-chamber along the side walls, aswell as in the center thereof.

In a properly-devised incubator the body of heated air should have a slow but positive downward movement toward the eggs, and the temperature of the heated air should be automatically regulated, and the entire space within the walls of the hatchingchamber should be' of the same temperature. In my present invention I prefer toconstruct the entire walls of the hatching-chamber of a material and in a manner which is impermeable to air or gas. In additiouto the hatchingchamber I preferablyemploy two other or 'auxiliary chambers, which may be arranged (if so preferred) within the said hatchingch-amber. Oneof said auxiliary chambers I shall term a distributing inlet or chamber, audit is arranged near the under side of the upper wall of said hatching-chamberand has an opening leading to the outer free atmos- The other auxiliary chamber I shall term the exhaust outlet or chamber, and

itis arranged nearthe bottom of the interior of the hatching-chamber, and it has an opening leading, preferably, to the flame of the heater, so that a positive downdraftfwill be maintained through the hatching-chamber so long as the heater-flame is supplied with air.

My invention will be more fully understood by reference to the accompanying drawings,

' in Which- Figure I represents la'. vertical section through the aforesaid three chambers of the incubator and the ducts connected therewith.

Fig. 2 illustrates a, plan wherebyv several inclose the above the bottom wall'riioor of the hatching-chamber B B. Exhaust-chamber F communi'cates through duct Gr with the iiame of heater H. i f

The interior of hatching-chamber LO communicates with the interior of chamber B Fig. B exhibits a'plan view of the through the large porousv diaphragm I and small porous diaphragms 2 3. The interior of chamber B communicates with the interior of chamber F through the large porous diaphragm J and small porous diaphragms L 5.

The said diaphragms may be composed of cotton clothor anyother suitable porous material.

The diaphragms herein shown and specified are vporous-that is to say, they are full of minute apertures, through which the air passes in diiused minute quantities, there by compelling the air-movement Within said chamber to be so slow that the outgoing air and gasesl can take no more moisture from the eggs within said chamber than the incoming fresh air brings in. shown is composed of rollers 6 6, dac., upon which the, eggs are arranged for incuba-l tion. These rollers are preferably feltbar M. Bar M when moved will cause the said rollers'to rotate, and thereby turn the eggs. It will be observed that the small diaphragms 2 3 4 5 assist in evenly distributing the downwardly-moving body of air as it passes through the incubator. is shown at R, Fig. 1, the lower endof which The egg-tray `covered and are carried by the frame L, `as' shown in Fig. 3, and they rest upon movable IOO A thermostat is secured to the side Wall by means of bracket S, while the upper end connects with lever T, which in turn actuates lever V, thereby controlling valves W X, each of which is hinged to its individual support. As the temperature rises within said hatching-chamber the thermostat expands, and acting through levers T V it first causes valve W to open, and simultaneously therewith said thermostat will cause the slack or lostmotion, (which is purposely leftin link Z,) and then the slightest increase in the expansion of said thermostat will cause valve X to open. Thus it will be seen that if valve W does not sufficiently check the rise of the temperature within said hatching-chamber then valve X opens and allows air to pass directly from the free outer atmosphere to the heater-dame, so that the movement of the air through the hatching-chamber will temporarily' be abnormally slow. Of course when the temperature falls sufficiently the thermostat will contract and cause the aforesaid valves to close.

It has been found that a heater sufficiently large to properly heat the hatching-chamber should obtain from the surrounding outer atmosphere a portion of the air for the maintenance of the heateriame.' Thereby the amount of air drawn from the hatchingchamber within a given time will be such that (during incubation) the air movement therein will approximate that due to the natural movement of the gases thrown off by the incubating eggs. In such cases link Z is adjusted so as to take up the lost motion between lever V and valve X; therefore valve W will normally rest on its seat, while valve X will be raised from its seat, and thereby air will be admitted directly from the outer atmosphere to the heater-dame. Then if the thermostatic regulator should "be made to operate both of said valves would work in unison. Therefore it will be noted that there will be no cooling of the air-heating surfaces during incubation and no undue rapid movement of the air in the hatching-chamber and that the ingress and egress of the air passing through the hatching-chamber is preferably controlled by minute pores, in contradistinction to large apertures or perforations. The pipe covered by valve Xmay extend upward to any desired height.

The preferred operation of the air in the incubator is as follows: The heater being lighted will cause the air which is to be used for incubation to be heated in chamber orduct E and then drawn through ducts E and D, thence into distributingchamber C through diaphragms 2 3 and I, thence down- .Ward through the hatching-chamber B, and then through diaphragms 4 5 and J into exhaust-chamber F through duct G to the heater-dame, and thence out into the free air. The fire inthe heater may be regulated by adjusting a stem which extends from the heater through an opening to the outside and terminates in wheel Y.

l have found that when itis desired to have alarge number of eggs Kincubating simultaneously and the entire number supplied with heat from one source it will be most successful where the incubator-,system has a plurality of comparatively small hatching chambers, (instead of one large one,) each of which should have an independent temperatureregulator, while one source of heat should be common to and supply all of said chambers. Whether steam, water, lair, gr electricity is used to distribute the heat t the several chambers, each regulator should control that portion of steam, water, air, or electricity which heats the particular chamber to which a given regulator is assigned, and the action of the regulators may be made to assist in regulating the source of heat. Furthermore, the entire number of eggs-sa one thousand or two thousand-contained in any one hatching-chamber should be spread out on the movable trays, so that all would occupy as near one level as possible. One arrangement embodying such ideas is illustrated at Fig. 2, in which two hatching-chambers B B are separated by wall A. The thermostats or temperature regulators R R are each independent ofthe other and control 4valves W W', respectively, so that the heat (supplie-d from heater H) and the air passing through du-ct E may be automatically regulated before it reaches the eggs within the interior of said hatching-chambers. DuctE may extend over the edges and down the sides of the hatchingchambers to point N and may be of any suitable width. Thus it may forma hall through which the interior of said chambers can be reached. It is obvious that the porous'diaphragms I J, &c., may be of any suitable size, and they will prevent air currents within said hatching-chambers, and therefore the natural humidity of the air will supply ample moisture to the eggs while they are incubating. Valve K may be used, if so desired, to assist in regulating the air movement simultaneously in all of said hatchingchambers, and it maybe adjusted by handA by means of screw O, which rests against lug P. Thus it will be noted that the arrangement shown in Fig; 2 is such that a slow downward movement of the airis maintained simultaneously in all of said chambers.

The new and useful result obtained by supplying heat from av single source to a plurality of hatching-chambers is the economy both in time and fuel. For instance, suppose there are thirty single incubators in use in one plant and that to trim and fill one lamp consumed ten minutes. Now as each lamp requires the same amount of attention each day there would be five hours each day given to the attention required by the lamps. By means of my present invention no more than one-half` hour each day would be required to attend to the single source of heat-supply. 1 It is well known that one large heating apparatus is more efficient than a plurality of small ones.

IOO

IIO

IZO

lthe reception or hatching In the construction of the system 4herein set-forth I do not limit myself to the exact detailsof arrangement shown and described. Neither do I limit myself to any particular kind of heater or any other thing so long as I remain within the broad scope of my invention.

While I have termed my present invention an incubator and called chamber B the hatching-chamber, it should not be under'- stood that I contine my invention to incubation when it is obvious that it may be used for other purposes where it is desired to maintain apractically-uniform temperature throughout-a slowly-moving body of air. For instance, chamber may be utilized as a broeder or artificial protector for chickens.

consisting of a reception or hatchingchamber, an air-inlet chamber having an air-distributing, porous'diaphragm through which air is slowly and evenly delivered into the reception or hatching chamber, the said air-inlet chamber being arranged near the upper wall of said reception or hatching chamber, means for heating said air, an outlet-chamber having a porous diaphragm through which air is slowly and evenly exhausted fromsaid reception or hatching chamber, said outlet being at or near the bottom of said reception or hatching chamber, and means for automatically regulating the temperature of said reception or hatching chamber, substantially as set forth.

2. A machine of the character described, consisting of a reception or hatching chamber devoid of supplied moisture, an airinlet or chamber having an air-distributing porous diaphragm through which air is delivered into said reception or hatching chamber, the said air inlet or chamber being near the upper Wall of said reception or hatching chamber, means for heating said air, an outlet or exhaust chamber having a porous diaphragm through which air is evenly and slowly'exhausted from said reception or hatching chamber, said outlet being at or near the bottom of said reception or hatching chamber,

means for automatically regulating the temperature of said reception or hatching chamber, and a pipe or duct arranged substantially as described, so that a tubular connection is maintained between the said outlet or exhaust chamber and the heater, whereby a slow downward air movement is maintained within said reception 'or hatching chamber.

3. A machine of the character described, consisting of a .reception or hatching chamher, an air inlet or chamber through which air is slowly delivered into said reception or hatching chamber, means for heating said air, an outlet or chamber having a porous diaphragm which assists in maintaining a slow and even bodily air movement, within said vinlet beingnear the upper wall of said hatchingchamber, means whereby said air is heated, an independently constructed air outlet or exhaust chamber having means through which air is evenly and slowly exhausted from said reception or hatching chamber, said outlet being at or near the bottom of said hatching-chamber, means for automatically-regulating the temperature. of the air in said hatching-chamber, a pipe connected to said exhaust-chamber, and a valve connected to said pipe whereby the amount of air drawn from said hatching-chamber, may be regulated.

5. A machine of the character described, consisting of a plurality of reception or hatching chambers, each having an independent temperature-regulator, an independent airinlet, and an independent air-outlet, the said inlets and outlets being obstructed by porous diaphragms, a source of heat common to and -supplying all of said chambers, and 'means whereby a slow air movement is maintained simultaneously in all of said chambers, for the purpose set forth.

6. A machine of the character described, consisting of a plurality of reception or hatching chambers each having an independent air-inlet, an independent ,air-outlet and an independent temperature-regulator, a single. heating device having a tubular communication with all of said chambers, and means actuated by the heat from said device whereby a slow, even movement of the heated air is maintained, simultaneously, in allot' the. said chambers, substantially as set forth.

` 7. The combination of a plurality of reception or hatching chambers, each provided with an independent air-inlet, an independent air-outlet'and an independent thermostat, a heater common to and supplying all of said chambers and a pipe or tube common to all of the air-outlets of said chambers, and leading therefrom to the re in said heater, whereby a slow, bodily movement of the heated air is maintained, simultaneously in all of said chambers, substantiallyas set forth.

8. A machine of the character described, consisting of a reception or hatching chamber, van air-inlet communicating withfthe interior of said chamber, through an air-spreading horizontallyarranged minutely -apertured diaphragm, a second minutely-apertured diaphragm horizontally arranged between the interior of said chamber and the ICO IIO

ign

air-outlet for the same, the second-diaphragm being adapted to as'sist the first diaphragm to spread the air evenly throughout the said chamber, and to retard the air movement therein, means whereby said air is heated, and means whereby the temperature thereof is regulated, said temperature regulating means consisting of two valves having suitable t-hermostatic connections which are adapted to operate said valves diderentially, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

9. A machine of the character described, consisting of a reception or hatching chamber devoid of supplied moisture,an independently-constructed air-inlet chamber having an air-distribut ing porous diaphragm through which air is evenly delivered into said hatchin g-chamber, the said air-inlet being near the upper Wall of said hatching-chamber, means whereby said air is heated, an independentlyconstructed air outlet or exhaust chamber having a porous diaphragm through which air is evenly and slowly exhausted from said reception or hatching chamber, said outlet being at or near the bottom of said hatchingchamber, means for automatically regulating the temperature of the air in said hatchingchamber, and an upwardly-extending pipe or flue, leading from said exhaust chamber,

through the heater whereby a slow downward draft is maintained through said hatchingchamber, for the purpose set forth.

. 10. A machine of the character described consisting of a reception or hatching chamber, an air inlet chamber communicating with the interior of said hatching-chamber, through an air spreading, horizontallyarranged ,minntely-apertured diaphragm,a second minutely-apertured diaphragm horizontally arranged between the interior of said hatchin g-chainber and an air-outlet chamber, the second diaphragm being adapted and arranged to assist the irstmentioned diaphragm to spread the air evenly throughout the said hatching-chamber, and to retard the air movement thereimmeans whereby the said air is heated, means whereby the temperature thereof is regulated and means whereby a slow downward draft is maintained through said hatching-chamber, for the purpose set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing/as my invention I have signed my name, in presence of two witnesses, this 18th day of May, 1900.

GRANVILLE T. VOODS.

Witnesses:

JAMES A. DONNELLY, FRANK S. OBER. 

